The role was also a first for David because Dave is a grandfather through his teenage daughter from his first marriage.

"I've certainly not played a grandfather before, which was a bit of a shock to the system," David admitted.

"I played a dad in Recovery years ago but in Single Father, I have lots of kids. To work that closely for that length of time with so many kids was also new for me."

David is going further afield for his next role. He is in New Mexico filming his first big Hollywood movie - a remake of 1985 vampire movie Fright Night.

David revealed: "I'm playing a character called Peter Vincent, who's a Las Vegas illusionist who also happens to be an expert on vampires. And, as well as some acting, I've spent a lot of time being sewn into very tight costumes."

Monday, September 13, 2010

Three actors have been confirmed for guest roles in the upcoming sixth series of Doctor Who.

The site for talent agency Alphabet Kidz reports that child actor Jamie Oram has been cast as Harry in the fourth episode. Oram has previously appeared in a number of commercials, but the part of Harry will be his first role in television drama.

Actor Daniel Mays will also appear in the episode as Harry's father. Mays is known for his role as Jim Keats on Ashes To Ashes and will appear in forthcoming BBC sci-fi drama Outcasts.

Harry's mother will be played by Emma Cunniffe, who has previously featured in episodes of The Bill and Casualty and appeared alongside former Who star Christopher Eccleston in the 2002 show Flesh and Blood.

A casting call on Spotlight describes the character of Harry as "a troubled young boy who has a nervous disposition".

Production on the episode - apparently titled 'What Are Little Boys Made Of?' - is currently ongoing in Cardiff.

It was a chance for Prince Edward to put his showbusiness ambitions to the test – a starring role in Doctor Who, one of the nation’s favourite family shows.

But the prospect of the Prince on prime-time TV in a story featuring a sorceress, cybermen and some Nazis was a step too far for Buckingham Palace, and Edward’s aides vetoed the idea.

The details of the extraordinary invitation are detailed in newly unearthed letters in the archive of the late John Nathan-Turner, a former Doctor Who producer.

He was keen to get the stage-struck Prince, then 24, to star in a three-part adventure called Silver Nemesis, commissioned to mark Doctor Who’s 25th anniversary in 1988.

Producers thought his involvement would create maximum publicity for the episodes in which he would play himself in a scene where the Doctor – Sylvester McCoy – and his assistant Ace, played by Sophie Aldred, arrive unexpectedly at Windsor Castle.

But in a letter dated March 28, 1988, and written on Buckingham Palace notepaper, the Prince’s then equerry Lieutenant-Colonel Sean O’Dwyer wrote: ‘Thank you for your letter of March 25 in which you invite Prince Edward to take part in a special three-part story of Doctor Who.

Enlarge Polite rejection: The letter from Palace to the producers confirming Prince Edward would not be taking part in filming

‘His Royal Highness was most interested to hear about this and much appreciates your kind thought in asking him. However, Prince Edward regrets that, sadly, it is not possible for him to do as you ask.

‘His Royal Highness is sorry to disappoint you in this way, but hopes that the silver anniversary programmes will be a great success.’The producers were also refused permission to film at Windsor.

In a letter dated March 29, 1988, John Haslam, assistant Press secretary to the Queen, wrote: ‘I am afraid there is a firm, long-standing rule that permission is not given for filming at Royal residences in connection with fictional projects.’The letters are held at the British Film Institute.

In the episode, broadcast in November 1988, the Doctor is confronted by the Queen, played by a lookalike.

They meet at Arundel Castle in West Sussex, which was used as a stand-in for Windsor.

Andrew Cartmel, the programme’s script editor, said: ‘Reading between the lines it appears the Prince wanted to do it but was effectively blocked.’

Prince Edward had already started to pursue his dreams of a career in showbusiness at the time of the approach. In 1986 he joined Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Theatre Company and in 1993 he founded TV production company Ardent.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Ok, guys, I need some help with this. You all know I LOVE Doctor Who and that I could spend my entire life watching it, but I feel I need some variety. I've recently started watching Sherlock, and I think I'm hooked already (and I've only watched two episodes, although I have watched 'A Study In Pink' 5 times since Tuesday. I know, wow), but I don't really watch much TV apart from those two shows. Sure, I do watch some Torchwood and SJA, but my TV history is pretty, pretty poor. I usually get fed up w/ certain shows easily (specially the ones that focus on romance a lot - 'How I Met Your Mother' being a good example of how not to overdo it, 'cause otherwise I wouldn't really watch it) and I don't follow any other shows apart from DW and Sherlock.

Therefore, I would like to ask you all... What are your favourite TV shows? What show would you recommend for me to watch? Please post a comment below, even if you don't have a Blogger account, and let me know what you think!

Thursday, September 09, 2010

The Scottish actress, who shot to fame as the Doctor's assistant Amy Pond, said she was looking forward to changing her character in the next series of the BBC sci-fi show.

She said: "I think that she's a completely different person at the end of the series to when we meet her, when she's really quite odd and a bit messed up in the first episode."

The 22-year-old added: "I think she's much more kind of in tune with what she understands about herself mostly and the Doctor by the end of the series. And she's been through a lot in the series.

"It's been pretty emotionally draining. Just all the stuff when she was crying and she doesn't know why she's crying - that was quite a challenge. But I think there's a lot more to come in the next series. I really want to just keep on developing her character and I want her to evolve and change lots."

The star was speaking as she signed boxes containing a five-inch version of her Doctor Who character along with posters for more than 200 fans at toy store Hamleys in Glasgow's St Enoch Centre.

Comedian David Mitchell has criticised Doctor Who for forgetting it is a kids' show.

The Bafta-winning Peep Show star said it was odd the show was so popular [among] adults.

"My parents never watched Doctor Who - it wouldn't have occurred to them to do so," said Mitchell.

"They might have been fond of it, they might have said, 'Oh yes, I used to watch that as a child'. What they wouldn't go on to say was '...and I still do now.'" He added: "These days, a huge amount of stuff seems to be aimed at children, but with the assumption that adults - and not just parents - will consume it too."

Doctor Who boss Stephen Moffat has said the show is meant to be enjoyed by the whole family.

Honestly, why does he care? First we had Fry saying that it was a kid's show, now we have Mitchell saying that is it made, and I quote!, 'with the assumption that adults will consume it too'. Well, of course they want to attract a wider variety of audiences, not just children! Doctor Who proved to be a success among adults right from the get go, ever since William Hartnell! I don't even understand why people go on and on about this...

Doctor Who actor Matt Smith has won a GQ Award. The actor picked up the a gong at the GQ Men of the Year Awards. The Black-Tie ceremony was held on Tuesday evening as London's Royal Opera House and the actor himself was at the ceremony to pick up the award - he had come over from Cardiff where he had been filming the new series of Doctor Who earlier in the day. Smith won the GQ award for Best Actor which was presented to him by the artist Tracey Emin.

Also recognised at the GQ Awards was actor Jon Hamm who was named Best International Man at the awards. The actor is best known for his role of Don Draper in the critically acclaimed series Man Men which returns to BBC Four tonight (see here >> ). Gossip Girl actor Ed Westwick, who plays womanising Chuck Bass in the teen-drama, also won an award as did James Bond actress Gemma Arterton. Prime Minister David Cameron was also recognised at the GQ awards and comedian James Corden also picked up a gong.

Tuesday, September 07, 2010

It has happened again, guys. I don't usually talk about this, but I know some of you out there already know this, but I think it is worth mentioning it anyways.

As some of you know, I love British television and, to be completely honest, that's pretty much all I watch these days. Not that I don't watch American television or German television (for example, I'm not pinpointing), I just don't get a kick out of it.

One of the most remarkable moments in my life so far happened when, after taking a break from my studying Chemistry, I noticed a show untitled 'Doctor Who' was going to air in a matter of minutes. For some reason, I just knew I had to watch it. I got this strange feeling that what I was about to watch was going to change my life.

It turned out to be 'Army of Ghosts', the Series 2 episode (with David as the Doctor), and within 5 minutes of watching it, I was completely hooked. The whole concept of the show, the Doctor, the TARDIS, the Daleks, I felt like I was never going to let go of that wonderful world that was now presented to me by this wonderful, dashing man who went by the name of 'Doctor'. I felt I knew the show inside out and I knew I had fallen in love with the both the show and the character (and, consequently, with David). Don't ask me how I knew it or how I did it, but I just knew it instinctively. It was bizarre and almost maddening because I had never felt anything like that. I could feel all that love oozing out of every single pore in my body and I ordered the Series 2 boxset the very next day. I am sure some of you are thinking that that could have been a huge waste of money had I been wrong, but I just know when I am going to love somebody or something forever (or, at least, for a long, long, loooong time. With Doctor Who, I felt it was going to be forever). Right after the episode ended, I rushed to my computer and read everything I could possible read about the show and about David, and started saving pictures and downloading the soundtracks off iTunes. My cellphone was, two hours later, a proper TARDIS, a world that would make any Whovian proud. I had the theme tune as my ringtone, the TARDIS as my message tone and the Tenth Doctor as my wallpaper.

Today, my friends, the same thing has happened to me. As I tweeted this morning (@BritparsleyTen), I finally got my 'Sherlock' DVD on the post. Usually, I watch TV after dinner, so I thought I was going to watch it then. I was too excited not to watch it immediately, though. So I grabbed Disc 1 and started watching 'A Study In Pink'.

I cannot say why, but I was incredibly excited. Yes, I knew 'Sherlock' was brilliant but I still had not watched it. Well, I assumed it was brilliant, anyway. Everybody seemed to think so, so I sort of followed that conveyed idea.

Guess what happened: 5 minutes later, I got that same feeling I got 3 years ago with Doctor Who. It wasn't as powerful but it caught me offguard: I wasn't expecting to feel that again. I didn't connect with it on an emotional level, if you will, so that's probably why it wasn't as powerful but I sort of knew I was going to love this show. When Cumberbatch first appeared I was like 'Hell, yeah, you're going to be great' and I still had not seen him talk or anything, I was just assuming. And boy, I was NOT wrong! He was amazing and I fell in love w/ his character... I'm no stranger to 'Sherlock Holmes' and I am actually reading every single one of Sir Arthur's stories about this particular duo of witty characters... and I am loving the book and now I am in love with the show.

Whovians, fear not, I am a Whovian at heart and 'Sherlock' is not going to make me forget about DW or anything, that's never going to happen. I am actually really glad that I've found another show that I actually care about, rather than one that I like to watch and then lose all interest. Don't get me wrong here, but for 3 years DW was pretty much the only show I followed loyally. I would watch this and that but it wouldn't be the same. Now that I have 'Sherlock', I have a feeling that I'm going to follow it as loyally as I do with Doctor Who... and that is great. It makes me feel like there's some great television on the making and that is, quite frankly, uber exciting.

I am absolutely loving Cumberbatch and Freeman's performances and I feel there's so much more that we have yet to see...! I'm super excited now. I truly am. Roll on, episode 2!

Monday, September 06, 2010

The Doctor Who News Page reports that cast and crew returned to work at 8am this morning in Cardiff.

The new series is the sixth since the show's revival in 2005 and will see the return of stars Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill.
The first production block is believed to consist of the third and fourth episodes, both of which will be directed by Richard Clark. Filming will begin with episode three, written by Neil Gaiman, before moving on to an instalment penned by Mark Gatiss.

It was previously announced that the new series would air in two parts, beginning in the spring and returning in the autumn.
Doctor Who will return to BBC One this Christmas for a one-off special.

"Doctor Who" took home its fourth Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation - Short Form, but it's not quite a win for new showrunner Steven Moffat just yet.

The BBC series picked up the award for "The Water of Mars," written by Russell T. Davies and Phil Ford, and directed by Graeme Harper. "Doctor Who" actually dominated the category in the awards, given out at AussieCon 4 through the World Science Fiction Society, that also included "The Next Doctor" from Davies and director Andy Goddard and "Planet of the Dead" with Davies, Gareth Roberts and directing word by James Strong.

Also nominated were the "Dollhouse" episode "Epitaph 1" from Joss Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, Jed Whedon and David Solomon, as well as "No More Good Days" from the now-canceled ABC series "FlashForward" from Brannon Braga and David S. Goyer, based on the book by Robert J. Sawyer.

"Moon," written by Nathan Parker and directed by Duncan Jones, took the Hugo for Best Dramatic Presentation - Long Form. That beat out stiff competition from the likes of "Avatar," "District 9," "Star Trek" and "Up."

The Hugos were presented at the 68th World Science Fiction Convention, this year known as AussieCon 4 in Melbourne, Australia.

"Doctor Who" has more Hugos than any single television series, and is tied with the complete Star Trek franchise which won two Hugos for the original series ("The Menagerie" and "City on the Edge of Forever") and two Hugos for "Star Trek: The Next Generation" ("Inner Light" and "All Good Things").

"Doctor Who" writer Paul Cornell both presented and accepted the award, reading a speech from Harper, who thanked the "Doctor Who" production team for letting him work on the show.

Author George R.R. Martin -- who has a book series moving to television as "Game of Thrones" on HBO -- presented the Long Form category, accepting the "Moon" award for Jones and Parker. "Moon" received a limited release in the United States, and had a small budget of $5 million, compared to the hundreds of millions of dollars from most of the other nominees, save "District 9."

For the first time in 17 years, there was a tie in the Hugo for Best Novel category. Paolo Bacigalupi and China Miéville won for "The Windup Girl" and "The City and the City" respectively.

Two of the Hugo winners were in their 90s. Writer and editor Frederik Pohl, 90, won the Hugo for Best Fan Writer for his blog, The way the Future Blogs. Jack Vance, 94, won the award for Best Related Work for his biography, "This is Me, Jack Vance! (Or, More Propertly, This is 'I')."

Other winners include "Palimpsest" by Charles Stross fro Best Novella, "The Island" by Peter Watts for Best Novelette, "Bridesicle" by Wil McIntosh for Best Short Story, "Girl Genius, Vol. 9: Agatha Hetrodyne and the Heirs of the Storm" by Kaja Foglio and Phil Foglio for Best Graphic Story, Patrick Nielsen Hayden for Best Editor - Long Form, Ellen Datlow for Best Editor - Short Form and Shaun Tan for Best Professional Artist.

Best Semiprozone when to Clarkesworld, edited by Neil Clarke, Sean Wallace and Cheryl Morgan. Brad W. Foster won for Fan Artist and Seanan McGuire won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer.

Friday, September 03, 2010

Yes, yes, I know, I have already posted this picture, but I have yet to share my thoughts on his 'costume' with you all lovely people. As many of you, I was caught off guard and wasn't even sure, when I first saw it, that it was, in fact, David Tennant. However, it took me a split second to realise that it was, in fact, David who was gracing the photo. My initial reaction, as you can tell from my tweets (@BritparsleyTen) was one of mixed shock and well,... love. I was expecting this kind of costume ever since I had seen one of develish1's posts on her wordpress page (develish1.wordpress.com) which contained a description of how his costume was going to be like. For that reason, I was sort of expecting the Criss Angel, Mindfreak look (as somebody pointed out somewhere).

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. Sure, they did hide his lovely and gorgeous face, but his stare almost take a life of its own. It's almost hypnotic. But he's supposed to be a wizard, right?, so that sort of makes sense. Anyway, I am REALLY glad we can see his lovely eyes. We can't tell from the picture (well, I can't, anyway) whether he has black contact lenses on or not, but I hope they let him use his normal contacts, not the coloured ones. The worldneeds to see David's hazel eyes.

Right, now to dissect the image itself...

Oh yes, the eyes are just to die for. The eyeliner around the eyes is reminiscent of Tate's 'Nan's Christmas Carol' (as described on Amazon, although I actually call it 'Catherine Tate's 2010 Christmas Special - but I am not picky), in which he played (yes, you have guessed correctly!) the Ghost of Christmas Present. If you thought his hair was too long back then, well... what can I say? Apart from longer, it looks black with a Sparrow-ish air to it: his facial hair only adds to the mentioned effect. Overall, it looks absolutely amazing. With a moustache and a beard, David looks completely different... but wouldn't be able to fool not even his newest fans.

You can see a bit (that's an understatement!) of flesh in this particular bit, am I am certainly NOT complaining. I actually like the jacket (it looks like leather to me), but it's not the jacket that catches my attention every time I look at this picture... It's David's torso. It looks amazing and although the picture is stylised, I think those muscles belong to our sexy lad. Well, I have seen Casanova a lot of time and yes, David does have his abdominal muscles pretty defined, although you can't always notice them (I am sure you can, though :D). I can tell he is sporting a necklace or a pendant of some sort and rings. And, in case you're still not convinced this is David, look at his hands... those are DEFINITELY David's hands, I could recognise them anywhere.

Oh yes, leather pants suit him. Definitely. I am trying not to comment about his, hum, hairy tummy (although I am pretty sure that bit doesn't qualify as 'tummy'... 'cause I don't you girls to start drooling all over the place. I think I don't even need to say a word, we all know what we're thinking, don't we, ladies?

Now, as for new pictures...

This is from seduff. And yes, you can see the hairy bit I was talking about more clearly... Ahah.

Because of his position his abs are not as defined, but you can still see them. And this is like looking at Jack Sparrow, although (and I have to be honest with you), I find David more attractive than Johnny. I know some people will hate me for saying this, but this is my honest opinion. And the leather pants really, really suit him. If you know what I mean...

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

David Tennant fans have had their first glimpse of his scrapped US TV show - and they weren't impressed by his American accent.

The Doctor Who star hoped to make it big in the States with Rex Is Not Your Lawyer, a comedy about an attorney too scared to appear in court.

David gave up the chance to film a movie about Edinburgh bodysnatchers Burke and Hare to take his chances across the Atlantic.

But US network NBC dumped the show after a pilot episode failed to win over executives.

And when a clip from the unseen pilot appeared on YouTube, fans panned Bathgate-born David's Stateside drawl.

One said: "That's Tennant's first fail. Come back to Britain, David."

Another said: "That American accent kills me. His natural accent is so lovely. Not a fan of that voice."

And a third added: "My ears are saying this is wrong but my eyes are saying it is soooo right."

More than 64,000 fans have watched the video since it appeared online.

Seriously, I am NOT going to make a single comment about this. This whole situation is getting more and more pathetic as time goes by. I've written a post about this particular subject, please feel free to read it as I've pretty much said it all there. Seriously, it is enough. Stop slating David Tennant, alright? Focus on his acting and not on his accent - I agree accents are important, but that was his FIRST shot at it. That's all I have to say and please excuse my bluntness, but it had to be said.

Smith admitted that he knows very little about the series and which guest stars could appear.

"Hopefully we will get some fabulous actors in. I don't know anything about who they are looking to get," he said.

He added: "I've got a couple of scripts coming to me this week - the first ones that we are going to shoot, so I am excited.

"It's funny because I'm in a similar sort of position to the people that watch the show because I literally don't know anything until I get the scripts."

Over the weekend, it was confirmed that the 2011 series will be broadcast in two parts - with one block shown in the spring and the other in autumn. Moffat teased that this would allow for an exciting mid-series plot-twist and cliffhanger.

We talked to Sylvester at the Cowal Highland Gathering, Scotland’s biggest Highland Games, where the 67-year-old actor was in attendance as honorary Chieftain.

Of the current Doctor, Sylvester said: “Matt is wonderfully strange. He’s got a great, strange look to him, a great face, and his timing is terrific, his concentration and everything.

“And he’s very young! I wasn’t mad about the idea of him doing it, but now he’s done it I think he’s done a really good job.”

Despite globe-trotting, Sylvester still tunes into the show, and said: “I watch it. I’ve been working all over the world so I don’t see it always, but I do dip in now and again. Partly out of duty, but I enjoy the duty, especially because of Matt Smith, I like what I’ve seen of him.

“And David was terrific, you know. I also liked Christopher Eccleston because he was the first real working-class Doctor, I was disappointed in a way that the next one wasn’t equally.

“I would have loved it if someone like Billy Connolly came out, and said [doing Billy impression]: ‘Oh my God, look at that planet, I love it! Bleep bleep bleep, I love it.’ I would have liked more of that, but apart from that it’s good.”

So what does it take to make a good doctor then? Fittingly, Sylvester replied: “Eccentricity, I think. As an actor, I think you’ve got to be slightly off the wall, batty and unusual, slightly. God knows why they gave it to me?”

Not content with one blockbuster role, Sylvester is now being sized up to appear in the blockbuster The Hobbit, which is set to be directed by Peter Jackson and continue the Lord of the Rings franchise.

However, at the Cowal Highland Gathering he was content in his role as honorary Chieftain, which the Dunoon-born actor described as a “great honour” in the first part of our interview - before pulling a knife out on our interviewer!

Sunday, August 29, 2010

A friend of mine sent this to me but I have no idea where it comes from. Can you please help me? I think it was somebody off Twitter that posted it, once I have read tweets about a new 'Single Father' picture, which I am presuming is this. Can you help me?

Ex 'Doctor Who' Sylvester McCoy is said to be in talks for a part in Peter Jackson's upcoming 'Hobbit' movies. The 67 year old Scottish actor who played the popular timelord from 1987-89 told the Argyllshire Standard that he was in contention with one other actor for an important role in the 2 part fantasy epic.

“I am being cast in The Hobbit,” he said. “We’re currently in negotiations – there are two of us under consideration. It’s not the Bilbo role, but could be bigger.”

Lord of the Rings fansite The One Ring.Net is suggesting the role McCoy is likely to be cast in is that of the the wizard Radagast the Brown.

In the meantime the troubled 2 part movies are still yet to get the full greenlight with studio MGM stworking to sort out a takeover. Director Peter Jackson is touted to take over the vacant directorial role left by Guilermo Del Toro.

Doctor Who's Karen Gillan is wowing fans as Amy Pond, but it seems she could murder another good part - in a Shakespeare tragedy.

She revealed: "I'm signed up for the next series of Doctor Who so I have no plans for anything else right now, but I would love to get into theatre after this series. I think Lady Macbeth is a character I could really get into - and she's from Inverness like me."

Fortunately it sounds as if the quirky actress and model's new found fame is washing over her like blood off a Scottish murderer's hands.

"It doesn't bother me or change how I dress," she said. "I've always been into fashion so I'm going to wear what I like.

"And I don't exercise or diet or anything. I slouch in front of the TV." Plenty of girls would kill to be able to do that...

Doctor Who fans are in for a treat with two series of the hit show set to screen in 2011.

Speaking at the International Television Festival in Edinburgh, producer Steven Moffat confirmed that a seven-episode series would be shown around Easter, followed by six episodes later in the year.

And he promised that there would be an "earth-shattering" cliffhanger midway through the two.

Moffat added that the Doctor, played by Matt Smith, and his sidekick Amy Pond - aka actress Karen Gillan - would face a "game-changing" moment in the new series.

Looking at the next series I thought what this show needs is a big event in the middle," he said. "I kept referring to a mid-season finale.

"So we are going to make it two series – seven episodes at Easter building to an earth-shattering climax, a cliffhanger we could never normally do because it would be too long before it came back. An enormous game-changing cliffhanger that will change everything."